XML Schemas
- 7h 47m
- Chelsea Valentine, Ed Tittel, Lucinda Dykes
- Sybex
- 2002
Use the Schema Language to Represent XML Metadata
Whether it is used for web development, creating documentation, or exchanging data between business partners, XML continues to grow in imprtance as a highly flexible document-design and data-modeling tool. Despite the limitations of using SGML Document Type Definitions (DTDs) to define document structures, XML has made inroads wherever data must flow among disparate platforms. The Schema specification has achieved W3C recommendation status, providing an alternative to DTDs that enable you to precisely structure XML data. But using the Schema Language does more than provide a more powerful way of defining data; it's also a better way because it uses XML's structure, syntax, and namesapaces, instead of those derived from the complex SGML.
XML Schemas introduces you to this elegant new technology, which brings the power of data modeling and data structuring to XML. A truly practical book has to give you more than just the details on syntax and semantics, examples of contructs and datatypes, and instruction in standard procedures. You get all that, but you'll also find lots of expert tips and techniques for document modeling, all reinforced with practical, real-world examples.
Evan as you're discovering the advantages of XML Schema, you'll learn about the continuing uses of DTDs. In some situations--when designing document-oriented XML, for example--DTDs might still be the way to go. You'll learn about visual XML Schema tools, but you'll also see how setting out armed with just a text editor gives you insights you might not acquire otherwise. It won't be long before you're developing your own XML Schema documents, using the power of XML to structure data for seamless, cross-platform exchange.
About the Authors
Chelsea Valentine is a webmaster, writer, and trainer. She's the author of more than a dozen books on markup languages, including Mastering XHTML and the forthcoming Mastering XSLT for Sybex. Chelsea develops web sites and teaches XML topics and web development for corporate customers and at various conferences.
Lucinda Dykes is the principal at Zero G Web Design in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has been developing websites and writing code since 1994 and teaches web-related classes at Santa Fe Community College.
Ed Tittel is a 20-year computing industry veteran who has written on XML, XHTML, and HTML in over 30 books. He also contributes XML articles regularly to searchmiddleware.com and informIT.com.
All three are coauthors of Mastering XHTML, Premium Edition, also from Sybex.
In this Book
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XML Schemas
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Introduction
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Introducing Metadata
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Of DTDs and Schemas
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The Document Design Process
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The Role of DTDs in XML
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Understanding XML Schema
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Understanding Schemas: Structures and Components
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Understanding Schema Datatypes
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Designing XML Schema Documents
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Converting DTDs to Schemas
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Important XML Schemas
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Using Appropriate Metadata
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Other Schema Languages
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Schema-Based Initiatives
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Schema and Related Tools
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Resources
